Don't Blame It On The Tea Boy
by believable-pen
Summary: "Come off it, Harkness," said Owen. "You know bloody well this'll end bad." Jack sighed, feigning hurt. "No, it won't." Ianto looked at the medic and rolled his eyes. "See! Even Tea Boy agrees with me."
1. Chapter 1

_**Don't Blame It On The Tea Boy**_

Jack turned to look at the younger man seated in front of him, a blanket around his shoulder, hair still damp. Putting a finger under the man's chin, he lifted his head until their eyes met.

"It'll be okay. You'll see."

Ianto smiled, blinking away a tear that threatened to fall. "I know," he said, leaning into the hand that now cupped his face. He didn't want to break down in front of his lover. Not here. Not now. Not today.

Sad eyes looked into pools of blue, as Jack ran a hand up to touch damp hair.

_Twelve hours earlier_

"Come off it, Harkness," said Owen. "You know bloody well this'll end bad."

Jack sighed, feigning hurt. "No, it won't."

Ianto looked at the medic and rolled his eyes.

"See! Even Tea Boy agrees with me."

Jack shot a glance in Ianto's direction, frowning.

The Welshman held up his hands. "I'm Switzerland!"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You're _what?_"

Ianto tutted. "Neutral, Jack."

"But on Jack's side," added Gwen with a smile.

Ianto shook his head and walked towards the kitchen. "Leave me out of this. I'll make coffee then, shall I?"

Owen threw his hands up in misbelief. "That's it, walk away!"

Ianto smirked as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Jack half smiled. "That's my boy."

"Okay, let's take a vote. All those in favour, raise your hands." Owen looked at the two women. Both had their hands raised. "Shit!" He then looked at Ianto, who just shrugged. "Bloody Tea Boy!"

Jack slapped the top of his thigh. "That's settled then. As soon as we've had coffee, we'll pack a few essentials into the SUV and be on our way." He beamed.

Ianto handed Owen a cup of coffee and a packet of his favourite biscuits. "You were never going to win. When Jack's got an idea in his head, not even _I _can change his mind."

Owen accepted what Ianto offered. "Its gonna turn out bad, I can feel it."

"Maybe it's just the weather," teased Gwen. "Once we're in the water, it'll be fine."

"Like hell!" retorted Owen, going down to the autopsy bay.

Gwen looked at Tosh and made a face, then moved to her workstation, where Ianto had left her coffee. Leaving Jack until last, Ianto left the tray in the kitchen and slowly climbed the stairs to Jack's office. The door was slightly ajar and he felt the need to knock before entering.

"Come in."

As Ianto toed the door open, Jack looked up, his face unreadable.

"I…didn't want to take sides," he said. "You know how Owen can be if he thinks we're all ganging up on him." He placed the blue and white mug on Jack's blotter and stepped back. "I'll get the SUV ready then."

"Sit," said Jack in a low voice, just about audible.

Frowning, the Welshman sat down in the chair opposite Jack.

"What do _you_ think, Ianto? I thought this little expedition would be good for us." He elaborated. "The Rift is quiet. Reports are up to date. A little field trip is in order, don't you think?"

"It is a might dangerous, Jack."

"Owen doesn't have to dive with us if he doesn't want to." Jack eyed the younger man. "That goes for all of you."

Ianto smiled. "I'm quite looking forward to it, actually."

Picking up his mug, Jack took a sip, closing his eyes. "Mmm, nectar of the Gods!"

Ianto smiled, relaxing a little. "What do you expect to find down there, Jack?"

Jack shrugged, then stood up, moving to perch on the edge of the desk beside his lover. "There are caves down there. We could explore them." He smiled. "Who knows what we might find."

"Pirate's treasure," said Ianto, smiling.

Jack shook his head fondly. "You wish."

Down in the autopsy bay, all was not well with Owen Harper. His face was like thunder as he packed a black holdall with bandages, plasters, saline syringes and morphine.

Gwen sipped her coffee and text Rhys at the same time. Tosh smiled at her.

"He'll worry you see, if I don't let him know where I am. He's away tonight anyway, but, well…"

Tosh nodded her understanding.

Back in Jack's office, Ianto stood up and put his arms around Jack's neck, pulling him in for a kiss. "Can't wait to see you in a dive suit, sir."

"Likewise, Ianto Jones."

_**TBC**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

Ianto went to the Torchwood underground car park and started loading up the SUV. It was just approaching 9.30am. Owen took charge of his duffle bag, not letting it out of his sight. Jack had explained to them that all the wet suits and oxygen tanks were on the boat.

Ianto packed two flasks of coffee, just in case. Once everything was neatly stowed , Ianto touched his head set.

"All ready to go, Jack."

"We'll be there directly," came the quick reply.

Settling himself in the drivers seat, Ianto awaited his team mates. He noted that Tosh had changed into jeans and she had left her beloved laptop in the Hub, probably running a new security programme.

As the four approached the SUV, Jack opened the drivers door. "I'll drive," he informed Ianto, who got out and started to walk around to the passenger side.

Gwen jumped in the front seat before Ianto had a chance to reach the other side of the car and had to be content to sit between a smiling Tosh and grumpy Owen.

"So," began Gwen fastening her seat belt. "where's the boat moored?"

Jack pulled out of the garage without waiting to see if everyone had buckled up. "Penarth pier," he replied, putting his foot down.

Jack eyed Ianto through the rear view mirror, noting the look on the younger man's face. If he were driving, Gwen would be in the back seat instead of him. Jack smiled, but Ianto turned to look out of the window.

Ten minutes later, they were at Penarth pier off-loading from the SUV into the sleek speed boat.

Jack moved along side his lover. "You okay?"

"Fine," He didn't look at Jack.

"I didn't ask Gwen to sit in the front you know."

"I know."

Gwen passed the two men, smiling at Jack.

"She doesn't stand a chance with me. I like mine in a suit." He winked.

That made Ianto smile.

"Let's get going while the weather is with us," said Jack, touching his lover's arm.

In no time at all, they were out in the Bristol Channel moored off a buoy. Jack was the first to change into a wet suit.

"Very fetching, sir," remarked Ianto. "Maybe we could incorporate it in one of our little games."

Jack beamed.

"Oi!" barked Owen. "Let's get a move on!"

Jack smiled.

Ianto changed next, followed by Gwen. Tosh and Owen were staying with the boat.

Once in the water, Jack, Gwen and Ianto dove down to a cave 20 meters below. Going inside, they explored small nooks and crannies.

Jack signalled for Ianto to stay with Gwen as he swam off. Up on the boat, Owen was keeping an eye on the weather.

Ten minutes later…

"Storm clouds are closing in," Owen informed Tosh.

"Better let Jack know."

Owen nodded, touching his head set. "Jack?" said Owen. "Bad weather on the horizon. Make your way back up to the boat ASAP."

"I'll let Gwen and ianto know."

"Aren't they with you?"

"No."

"Jack!"

"Be ready to receive us aboard."

Owen signalled for Tosh to join him by the ladder. "They're on their way."

Jack swam back to where he'd left Gwen with Ianto. He found his lover swimming around frantically. Gwen was nowhere to be seen.

Ianto looked at Jack, his eyes wide. "I lost Gwen…" he said. "She…she was here, then…"

Jack grabbed his arm, stilling him. "I'll take a look around. You get back to the boat."

Ianto just stared.

"Now, Ianto!"

Taking one last look around, Ianto nodded and swam upwards toward the boat.

Owen helped Ianto get aboard and with the tank and Tosh undid his dive suit.

"Where's Jack and Gwen?"

Ianto looked blankly ahead.

"Ianto! Where are they?"

The Welshman just shook his head, as tear went unnoticed as it slid down his already wet face.

Jack searched until his air had almost run out. Up in the boat, Owen was firing questions at the already numb and distraught Ianto Jones.

"Where the bloody hell are Jack and Gwen"

Ianto just shook his head.

"Answer the bloody question!"

"Owen, can't you see he's in shock!" said Tosh, rubbing Ianto's arm.

Owen shook his head and looked down into the water. Tiny air bubbles were floating on the surface.

"Here they come," breathed Owen.

Ianto rushed to the side of the boat.

Jack surfaced…alone.

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Where's Gwen?" asked Owen searching the water around the boat.

Jack looked at Ianto, shaking his head. The Welshman almost collapsed.

"Jack, where the bloody hell is Gwen?" Owen asked a second time.

"We…lost her," he said, looking at Ianto.

"Lost her? How the hell did you lose her?" He looked at Ianto. "This is your doing, isn't it?" He grabbed Ianto by both arms, shaking him. "How could you lose her?"

"Owen!" Jack shouted at the medic. "Leave it!"

"Leave it? Bloody hell, Jack! Gwen's still down there!"

"We were exploring a cave. She could have gone deeper inside…found a ledge."

"You don't know that!"

"No, I don't."

Owen glared at Ianto. "If anything happens to her…" he let the sentence trail off for effect.

Ianto began to shake, as Tosh put a blanket around his shoulders.

"I'll inform the Coastguard and RNLI," said Jack, picking up the radio mic. "This is Captain Jack Harkness…Torchwood. We have a missing diver of buoy 4 in the Bristol Channel. Last seen 20 meters down in a cave, fifteen minutes ago."

"This is the Coastguard, message received and understood. Boats and helicopter will be sent to your location."

"Thank you. Harkness, out."

"We're not takin' this boat back until we find her, Jack!" declared Owen.

Just then, there was a clap of thunder and the heavens opened.

"We've no choice. We'll sink in this weather."

Owen shook his head as Jack gunned the engine and headed for the safety of Penarth pier.

After mooring the boat, Jack made the team get into the SUV. The drive back to the Hub was made in strained silence.

Once inside, Owen let rip at Ianto again. "You left her, didn't you? You and Jack bloody Harkness off together, doing God knows what!"

"N-no…" began Ianto.

"I left them," put in Jack. "I should have stayed with them."

"Too right you should have. I said it would all go wrong."

"You're not helping, Owen," said Tosh, crossing her arms over her chest.

Owen just glared.

Ianto walked over to the couch and slumped down onto it. Jack could only watch as he began to fall apart. No tears were shed, just shaking and rocking back and forth and Jack stood back, doing nothing. Ianto wondered what was going through Jack's mind. Did he think the same as Owen? That he'd lost Gwen on purpose?

The Coastguard had found nothing and after half an hour, the rescue helicopter had to return to base because of the weather.

Ianto remained sitting on the couch, as Tosh and Owen listened to weather reports and kept in touch with the Coastguard.

Jack watched from the safety of his office, not sure what to think.

Finally, Tosh made her way up to Jack's office. "Jack, what are we going to tell Rhys?"

Jack didn't look at her. "Nothing. He's away in Swansea until noon tomorrow."

"Jack!"

"We might find her before then."

"And if we don't?"

Jack didn't want to think about it. "Then I'll deal with it."

"And Ianto? You haven't been near him since we got back."

Jack approached his window and looked down at the Welshman. "I don't know what happened out there, Tosh, and that bothers me."

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

Gwen pulled off her facemask and climbed out of the water. It was lucky for her that she managed to find this air pocket and then the rock jutting out up above the waterline with its small shelf.

Taking a deep breath, Gwen checked her air supply; 5 minutes left.

'_Bloody hell!' _she thought. _'What have I done!'_

"Okay," she said out loud. "Think Cooper. They'll be looking for you." A slight smile crossed her lips at the very thought. "They won't stop until they find you."

Leaning back against the cave wall, Gwen waited.

Checking her divers watch, Gwen calculated that she'd been sitting on the ledge for over two hours. She started to shiver as the cave became colder. All she could think about was Rhys.

While Jack was gone for the year that never was, Rhys had proposed to her and she'd accepted. When Jack returned, she'd felt a pang of regret, until she saw the way Jack looked at Ianto and Ianto at Jack.

No, Rhys was the one for her.

**TWTWTW**

"It'll be dark in 4 hours," said Owen. "We need to find her!" He turned to look at Ianto. "How did you lose her? Did she swim off? Did you try and follow Jack? What?"

Just then, Tosh and Jack came down from his office.

"Leave Ianto alone, Owen," said Jack angrily.

"That's it, protect your office shag!"

"That's enough!" admonished Jack. "It was _my_ fault. You wanna blame someone, blame _me_!"

Owen threw his hands up. "Arh!"

**TWTWTW**

Putting her facemask back on, Gwen got back into the water. If she wanted to get out of this alive, she'd have to save herself.

Diving, Gwen kicked as hard as she could and made her way out of the cave. It was dark and Gwen had to feel her way out. Once in the open water, she kicked for the surface.

As she gasped for air, Gwen spied the light on the buoy and headed for it.

The sky was a pink colour and the air smelt of rain.

Gwen wasn't sure how long she'd clung to the buoy or when she lost consciousness, but then she opened her eyes, she was lying on a gurney in Accident and Emergency.

**TWTWTW**

Almost twelve hours after Gwen disappeared, Jack got a phone call from the police to say that Gwen had been picked up by a fishing boat and was at the hospital. He moved to the platform outside his office and looked down.

"They've found Gwen! She's alive and well at the hospital."

Owen punched the air and then hugged Tosh. Ianto was curled into a fetal position on the couch. Jack wasn't sure if he was awake or sleeping. Going down to sit on the coffee table, Jack touched the younger man's face.

"They found Gwen," he said once Ianto opened his eyes.

The younger man's hair was damp with sweat.

"It'll be okay. You'll see." Jack told him.

"I know."

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

Blue eyes met, as Jack helped Ianto to his feet.

"Let's go see Gwen, shall we," he said, smiling.

Ianto hesitated, before replying. "Yep." He ran a hand through his damp hair. "I must look like shit."

"Yeah, but I'm sure Gwen won't mind." Jack patted the younger man on the arm.

"I…didn't leave her, Jack," Ianto said, his eyes searching the older man's face.

Jack just nodded.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he laughed. "You think I left her because I was jealous."

"No, I don't," Jack was quick to answer.

"Yes, you do. But I didn't." Ianto walked toward the stairs. "I'm going to take a shower and change. I'll meet you at the hospital."

"You can shower in my quarters."

"No, I can't."

With that, he was gone.

Jack, Tosh and Owen drove to the hospital in the SUV. When they left, Ianto was still down in the locker room.

_**TWTWTW**_

Gwen lay patiently on the gurney as a nurse cut away the wetsuit.

'_Jack's gonna be pissed,' _she thought. _'For me leavin' Ianto and this bloody suit!'_

As the suit was removed, it was clear by bruising to her arms and back that Gwen had been thrown against the rocks.

Once a hospital gown was put on her Gwen felt a lot better.

At 9.45pm, the three Torchwood members walked into the A&E department. Jack flashed his ID and a brilliant smile at the receptionist and was escorted to Gwen's cubical without delay.

Tosh was the first to hug her friend, closely followed by Owen. Jack however, remained at the foot of the gurney.

"So," he started. "What happened down there?"

Gwen fluttered her eyelashes, but Jack was having none of it.

"Did Ianto swim off?"

"No!"

Jack looked at Gwen accusingly.

"There was a light, I thought, anyway. I…saw a small gap in the rock. I knew Ianto wouldn't fit through it. I lost track of time. Then I got knocked about a bit by the current."

The bruises were evident to all of them.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she said.

"I blamed Ianto," admitted Owen.

"No, it wasn't Ianto. It was me." Gwen looked at Jack. "Where is Ianto?"

"Here," came a familiar Welsh voice from behind Jack.

Jack turned, a half smile, half frown on his face.

Owen stepped back, meeting Ianto at the curtain. "I'm sorry, mate."

Ianto smiled. "Yeah." He bowed his head slightly and then met Jack's apologetic gaze.

"Me, too," said Jack.

Ianto walked up behind Jack and said in a low voice. "You can show me just how much, later."

They entwined finger.

"So," asked Gwen. "Did you tell Rhys?"

"No," said Jack.

"Good."

The five Torchwood members chatted until the doctor arrived and shooed them out so he could examine Gwen. After an hour, she was discharged.

_**TWTWTW**_

Jack held Ianto to his chest, feeling his heart beating in time to his own. Their lovemaking had been slow, but passionate.

"Have I proven to you just how sorry I was yet?" asked Jack.

"Not quite," replied Ianto, his lips coming up to meet his lover's. "But I'm sure by morning, you will have."

_**THE END**_


End file.
